Optimization of Fabrication Process for SiON/SiOx Films Applicable as Optical Waveguides
Source abstract
Abstract
In this paper, the analysis of silicon oxynitride (SiON) films, deposited utilizing the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, for optical waveguides on silicon wafers is presented. The impact of N2O flow rate on various SiON film properties was investigated. The thickness and refractive index were measured by micro-spot spectroscopic reflectometry and confirmed by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The chemical composition of SiON films was analyzed using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The surface roughness was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Increasing the N2O flow rate during deposition caused the deposition rate to increase and the refractive index to decrease. By changing the flow rate of gases into the chamber during the PECVD process, it is possible to precisely adjust the oxygen (O2) ratio and nitrogen (N2) ratio in the SiON film and thus control its optical properties. This was possibility utilized to fabricate SiON films suitable to serve as a waveguide core for optical waveguides with a low refractive index contrast.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Photonic and Optical Devices · Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies · Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Ilkovicova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia
International Laser Centre, Ilkovicova 3, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
Funding
Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV
References (25)
Show source-provided references
1. Integrated microwave photonics10.1002/lpor.201200032 ↗
2. Yi, X., Chew, S.X., Song, S., Nguyen, L., and Minasian, R. (2017). Integrated microwave photonics for wideband signal processing. Photonics, 4.10.3390/photonics4040046 ↗
3. Optomechanical characterization of compressively prestressed silicon oxynitride films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on silicon membranes10.1016/j.tsf.2004.04.019 ↗
4. Study of the optical properties of SiOxNy thin films by effective medium theories10.1116/1.1752898 ↗
5. Silicon oxynitride gas barrier coatings on poly(ether sulfone) by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition10.1016/j.surfcoat.2007.10.020 ↗
6. Plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposited silicon oxynitride as an alternative material for gate dielectric in MOS devices10.1016/j.mejo.2005.06.013 ↗
7. Investigation of optical properties of silicon oxynitride films deposited by RF PECVD method
8. Mechanical properties of sputtered silicon oxynitride films by nanoindentation10.1016/j.msea.2008.01.063 ↗
9. Impact of PECVD SiON stoichiometry and post-annealing on the silicon surface passivation10.1016/j.tsf.2007.12.026 ↗
10. Effect of PECVD silicon oxynitride film composition on the surface passivation of silicon wafers10.1016/j.solmat.2011.09.052 ↗
11. Optimization of PECVD silicon oxynitride films for anti-reflection coating10.1016/j.vacuum.2003.09.004 ↗
12. Optical losses of multilayer stacks synthesized with silicon oxynitride by R.F. magnetron sputtering10.1016/S0040-6090(98)00850-5 ↗
13. Pulse magnetron sputtering in a reactive gas mixture of variable composition to manufacture multilayer and gradient optical coatings10.1016/j.tsf.2005.07.229 ↗
14. Deuterated SiN/SiON waveguides on Si platform and their application to C-band WDM filters10.1109/JPHOT.2017.2731996 ↗
15. Optical, structural, and mechanical properties of silicon oxynitride films prepared by pulsed magnetron sputtering10.1364/AO.56.00C168 ↗
16. Graded refractive index silicon oxynitride thin film characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry10.1116/1.578266 ↗
17. Deposition of composition-controlled silicon oxynitride films by dual ion beam sputtering10.1063/1.104848 ↗
18. High quality factor silicon oxynitride optical waveguide ring resonators10.1016/j.optmat.2018.08.031 ↗
19. Fabrication and characterization of compact silicon oxynitride waveguides on silicon chips10.1088/2040-8978/14/8/085501 ↗
20. A unified approach for radiative losses and backscattering in optical waveguides10.1088/2040-8978/16/5/055502 ↗
21. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of low-loss SiON optical waveguides at 1.5-μm wavelength10.1364/AO.30.004560 ↗
22. Design, fabrication and characterization of SiOx/SiON/SiO2/Si structures for passive optical waveguides realization
23. Berechnung verschiedener physikalischer Konstanten von heterogenen Substanzen. I. Dielektrizitätskonstanten und Leitfähigkeiten der Mischkörper aus isotropen Substanzen10.1002/andp.19354160705 ↗
24. Deposition and composition of silicon oxynitride films10.1116/1.582543 ↗
25. Scientific Computing International (2016). FilmTek™ 2000M Operation Manual, Scientific Computing International.